Using the trunk to gently touch, caress or fondle another elephant in a reassuring, comforting or affiliative manner. While adult females or juvenile females most often direct Caressing towards infants and calves, adults and juveniles may also Caress one another. In a Calf Reassurance & Protection context Caressing comes in many forms: Wrapping a trunk over the back and around the belly of a calf or over calf's shoulder and under its neck often touching its mouth, or reaching out to touch the genitals, face, legs, mouth, trunk. Caressing is often associated with Coo-Rumbling and calves typically respond with an As-Touched or Baroo-Rumble. Calls of distress by calves, e.g. Husky-Cry, Cry, Cry-Rumble, Roar, Roar-Rumble, also elicit Caressing.
A young mother wants to depart but her newborn is sleeping. She gently touches her infant Trunk-to-Body to try to waken him. She touches him in this way many times and gives intention movements before he eventually gets up and follows her 15 minutes or so later. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
